ITBO20120239A1 - SUPPORT DEVICE FOR PACKAGING AND METHOD OF REALIZING IT - Google Patents

Description

SUPPORT DEVICE FOR PACKAGING AND METHOD FOR MAKING IT

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention falls within the sector concerning packaging and in particular refers to a support device for modular packaging, for example for making supports of the type called pallet, pallet or pallet, and to a method for making it.

Pallets made of various materials, such as wood and its derivatives, plastic and other synthetic and metal materials, are known. Said known support devices are generally very robust and suitable for even very heavy loads but have the disadvantage of being very expensive. Further disadvantages of said known devices consist in the fact that they occupy a very expensive volume when they are transported, for example from the place of production to that of use, and when they are stored, for example in warehouses for the goods they have to support; in the fact that they are very heavy; in the fact that they are difficult or impossible to recycle.

An object of the present invention is to propose a support device for modular packaging which is very economical.

A further object of the present invention is to propose a very light device. Another purpose is to propose a device.

A further aim is to propose a device that minimizes the occupation of space during its transport and during storage.

Another purpose is to propose a device that can be composed with simple manual or automated operations.

A further aim is to propose a device that can be broken down easily and with few manual operations, separating its constituents.

Another purpose is to propose a device suitable at least for medium and light loads.

Another purpose is to propose a washable and disinfectable device.

A further object is to propose a method for making the constituent elements of said support device for packages and for composing it.

The characteristics of the invention are highlighted below with particular reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a top view of a simplified form of the support device for packages object of the present invention;

- figures 2 and 3 show side views of the device of figure 1;

Figure 4 illustrates a bottom view of the device of Figure 1;

Figures 5 to 7 show views from above and from two sides respectively of the preferred embodiment of the support device for packages object of the present invention;

- figures 8 and 9 show sectional views according to the planes IIX - IIX and IX - IX of figure 5;

- figure 10 shows an enlarged detail of figure 8;

figure 11 shows a bottom view of the device of figure 5;

- Figures 12 to 14 show views from above and from two sides respectively of a die-cut plane means of Figure 5;

Figures 15 to 17 show respectively axonometric and two-sided views of the plane means of Figure 12 with respective folded flap means;

- figure 18 illustrates an enlarged detail of figure 17;

- Figures 19 to 25 show respectively from the bottom, from the top, from the four sides and isometric view of one of the support means of Figure 4 or Figure 11;

- Figures 26 to 28 show top and two-sided views of an embodiment of the device equipped with a variant of the support means of Figure 4 or Figure 11;

- figures 29 and 30 illustrate sectional views along the planes XXIX - XXIX and XXX - XXX of figure 26;

- figure 31 shows an enlarged detail of figure 29;

Figure 32 illustrates a bottom view of the device of Figure 26;

- Figures 33 to 35 show views from above and from two sides respectively of a die-cut plane means of Figure 26;

Figures 36 to 38 show axonometric and two-sided views, respectively, of the plane means of Figure 33 with the respective flap means folded;

- Figures 39 to 44 show views from above, from the four sides and axonometry of the variant of one of the support means of Figure 26;

- Figures 45 to 47 show top and two-sided views of an embodiment of the device equipped with a variant of the plane means of Figure 5; - figures 48 and 49 show sectional views according to planes XLVII - XLVII and XLIX - XLIX of figure 45;

- figure 50 illustrates an enlarged detail of figure 48;

- figures 51 and 52 show axonometric views from below of the device of figure 45;

- Figures 53 to 55 show views from above and from two sides respectively of a die-cut and flattened plane vehicle of Figure 45;

- figure 56 illustrates a top view of the plane means of figure 53 in which the peripheral edges have been erected and wedged;

Figures 57 to 59 show respectively axonometric and enlarged views from two sides of the plane means of Figure 56 with the respective flap means folded; - Figures 60 to 62 show views respectively from above and from two sides of a further variant of the device of Figure 5;

- figures 63 and 64 show sectional views according to planes LXIII - LXIII and LXIV - LXIV of figure 60;

- figure 65 shows an enlarged detail of figure 63;

Figure 66 illustrates a bottom view of the device of Figure 60;

Figure 67 illustrates a plan view of the plane means of Figure 60;

Figures 68 to 71 show respectively top, two-sided and axonometric views of the die-cut plane means of figure 67 with the flap means folded.

With reference to Figures 1 to 4, 1 indicates a simplified form of the support device for packaging object of the present invention which, for simplicity of description and a prerequisite for understanding the other embodiments, is illustrated and described in advance of the preferred form of realization and to the variants of the device.

The simplified packaging support device comprises a plane means 3 and a set of support means 5.

The plane means 3 is constituted by a plate or plate and, in an assembled condition A of the device 1, the support means 5 are fixed to one of its main abutment face 7 by means of glue, welding, adhesive tape or double-sided tape , staples or staples, seams, screws or rivets.

The flatbed vehicle 3 can be made of different materials such as wood, metal, plastic and the invention preferably provides that it is obtained from a sheet of honeycomb plastic material in polypropylene or the like with two parallel faces mutually fixed by a plurality of partitions mutually parallel and perpendicular to these faces. The cross sections of the alveoli delimited by the faces and septa are preferably approximately square or rectangular.

Preferably the longer sides of the plane means 3 are parallel to said partitions.

The support means 5 can be made of various materials such as wood derivatives, metal or preferably they are made of plastic material, for example of the type at least partially recycled.

Each support means 5 comprises three foot means 11 with a rectangular plan and whose perimeter edge is provided with flange means 13 projecting laterally. The flange means 13 of the longer sides of the adjacent foot means 11 of a support means 5 are connected by two connecting elements 15 which are parallel and spaced apart. Each joining element 15 preferably consists of an approximately ribbon-like or strip element.

In this way each foot means 11 of a support means 5 is connected to the adjacent foot means 11 of the same support means 5 by means of a pair of connecting elements 15 parallel and separated by a distance that roughly corresponds to the size of a smaller side of a half foot 11. Alternatively, the two joining elements 15 which join two adjacent foot vehicles can extend and join in a single body forming a sort of union band .

Preferably, each foot means 11 is constituted by a relatively thin wall in the shape of a cup or container and is therefore concave with said peripheral edge bearing the flange means 13 which constitutes the respective mouth.

More in detail, each foot vehicle 11 has an approximately truncated pyramid shape with the smaller base intended to meet a floor or support surface and with the larger base open and delimited by the flange means 13. The side walls of each vehicle foot 11 have undulations intended to stiffen and strengthen it but without forming undercuts so that the foot means of a support vehicle 5 can be inserted into the foot means of another support vehicle 5 allowing stacking of support vehicles 5 so as to be able to bring together many in very little space.

Each flange means 13 and each union element 15 have a contact surface 23 with the main abutment face 7 of the plane means 3. These contact surfaces 23 of the flange means 13 and of the union elements 15 of a support vehicle 5 lie on a common geometric plane.

The contact surfaces 23 are intended to receive the fixing glue the main abutment face 7 of the plane 3 means or to be welded, for example by ultrasound using sonotrode sonotrodes in English or to be otherwise fixed by means of double-sided adhesive tapes, seams, stitches. or rivets, for example made of plastic.

The faces of each flange means 13 and of each joining element 15 opposite the contact surfaces 23 are parallel to these contact surfaces 23 and optionally bear a raised rib 25.

Alternatively, these opposite faces to the contact surfaces 23 are inclined towards the outer perimeter edges of the flange means 13 and of the possible joining elements 15. The plane means 3 and the support means 5 can have shapes and dimensions designed to create standardized pallets or pallets, for example â € œeuropalletâ €, or they can be designed to create other supports, for example specialized for particular uses or applications. The main abutment face 7 of each plane means 3 can bear serigraphs or other prints intended to indicate the correct positioning of the support means 5 for correct gluing.

A possible operation of the simplified form of the device provides that the plane means 3 and the support means 5 are kept in respective reams or piles during their transport and storage until the moment of use.

The device 1 is then assembled in the place and moment of use, allowing great savings in space and costs. The lightness of the platform vehicles 3 and of the support vehicles 5 and the extreme simplicity of the gluing means, for example consistent dispensers of fluid glue or guns for â € œhot glueâ € allow an employee to handle both plane 3 and support 5 means both the device assembled manually, without effort and to assemble the device with few, simple and fast operations. The characteristics of the device also facilitate its automatic or semi-automatic assembly.

The preferred embodiment of the support device for packages object of the present invention, illustrated in Figures 5 to 25, differs from the simplified form of the device previously described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, due to some additional characteristics of the flatbed vehicle 3 which allow interlocking fixing between the support means 5 and this means on the surface 3.

The plane means 3 of the preferred embodiment of the device 1 carries a plurality of flap means 19 which can be folded and which, in the assembled condition, are intended to engage with said flange means 13 and / or with the joining elements 15, interlocking them, or by trapping them reversibly, between the fin means 19 themselves and the main abutment face 7.

The wing means are arranged in the positions in which the flange means 13 and / or the joining elements 15 will have to interlock in order to lock the respective support means 5 in the positions of the assembled condition of the device.

Each fin means 19 is obtained from the respective support means 5, has an approximately rectangular shape with a main side and two shorter sides delimited by respective slots 27 or continuous and passing punched cuts. Preferably the entire slot 27 or cut or its portion corresponding to the main side of the wing means, has a certain width, proportional to the thickness of the slab of the support means and inversely proportional to the length of the shorter sides of the means to the slot , determined to avoid friction and friction between the edge of the fin means and the remaining part of the sheet.

Optionally, the remaining main side of the fin means 19, that is its uncut or punched side, has a creasing 29 or a discontinuous rectilinear perforation for connecting the free ends of the slots 27 intended to facilitate the folding of the fin means 19.

It is envisaged that each joining element 15, far from the edges of the plane means, can be engaged by two wing means 19 facing each other or having the cut or slot 27 of their longest side in common.

The plane means 3 is obtained from a sheet or alveolar plate preferably of polypropylene as in the simplified form of the device described above, or in a honeycomb plate made of plastic or other material with a certain shape memory and that it can be punched or cut.

The creases 29, which are optional, are made on the face corresponding to the intrados of the fold of the fin means 19 and allow the creation of a straight fold line, along the crease itself, even if the material is anisotropic like a honeycomb plate or a honeycomb slab.

The fold area on the creasing side, that is the fold intrados, is compressed during bending while the extrados area is extended and lengthened; the memory of the material therefore tends to bring the wing means 19 back to the initial condition, before the fold, providing the elastic force which imprisons the flange means 13 and / or the joining elements 15, locking them in a reversible way. To avoid that the plane means 3 protrudes excessively from the external portions of the support means 5, the latter can be positioned very close to the sides of the plane means 3 which, in this case, can be without the outermost fin means. ; in this configuration the flange means 13 close to the main sides or to all sides of the support means 5, can be free from fin means and the corresponding joining elements 15 can be fitted to fin means corresponding only to the internal edges of said joining elements 15.

In the assembled condition, the device 1 comprises a plane means 3 and three support means 5 each equipped with three foot means 11 for a total of 9 foot means 11 whose arrangement and whose measurements can correspond to those of a standard pallet, for example the â € œeuropalletâ €, or they can provide a special support device for particular uses or applications.

The invention also provides that the plane means 3 and the support means 5 can have different characteristics, for example the plane means 3 can be constituted by alveolar sheets of different weight and thickness for more or less heavy loads or from slabs of different types and the support means 5 can have different sizes to adapt to different standards. In this way, a device that can be variously assembled is obtained when used to adapt it to different contingent needs.

In an operating condition of the device in which it supports a load placed above it and the lower portion of the support means 5 is also intended to abut a ground or floor, the contact surface 23 of each flange means 13 and of each possible joining element 15 is turned upwards and the main face 7 of the vehicle at floor 3 is the lower one while the load rests on the upper surface of the vehicle at floor 3, in this condition the flap means 19 meet with the lower parts of each flange means 13 and of each possible joining element 15.

A possible manual operation of the preferred embodiment of the device, illustrated in figures 5 to 25, provides that the plane means 3 and the support means 5 are kept superimposed in reams or inserted one into the other in piles until the moment of use when an operator picks up a vehicle on the plane 3 and folds its fins in the direction of the main abutment face 7 of the vehicle on the plane 3; subsequently the operator inserts the flanges 13 and the joining elements 15 between the main abutment face 7 of the flatbed vehicle 3 and the fins themselves, exploiting the flexibility of the bending portion of the latter. The memory of the material of the fold area of the fins tends to keep the fin means adhering to the flanges 13 and to the joining elements 15 by fixing the support means 5 to the flat means 3. When the device is then released from load, it is possible to easily separate the constituents for possible reuse.

The variant of Figures 26 to 44 differs from the preferred embodiment in that each support means 5 has only one foot means 11 and therefore is devoid of the joining elements. In this variant the wing means engage only with the flanges 13 which constitute the perimeters of the nine support means 5 of the variant of the device 1.

The variant of Figures 45 to 59 differs from the preferred embodiment in that the perimeter flaps 33 of the plane means 3 protrude and are creased making them foldable to form a raised peripheral edge of the device. The angular portions of these flaps are cut and / or shaped to form joints 35 between these perimeter flaps 33 in an upright condition thereof.

The variant of Figures 60 to 71 differs from the preferred embodiment in that the flat means is equipped with openings or windows 31 having a shape and dimension complementary to those of the body of the foot means 11 of the means of support. Support 5 and smaller dimensions than those of the corresponding flange means 13. Each opening or window 31 for a foot means 11 is placed between the fin means 19 for the flange means 13 of the body of the foot means 11 itself.

In an operating condition of the device in which it supports a load placed above it and the lower portion of the support means 5 is intended to meet a ground, a floor or a shelf, the foot means 11 of the means of support The support 5 are inserted in the respective openings or windows 31, the contact surface 23 of each flange means 13 and of each joining element 15 is facing downwards and the main abutment face 7 of the flat means 3 It is the upper one or the one on which the load of the vehicle on floor 3 rests.

In the case of plane means made of materials that are difficult to fold by hand, for example in metal or rigid plastic, the invention provides that the flap means are all parallel to the longer sides of the plane means and that they are already folded at the origin to allow the sliding insertion of the flange means 13 and of the joining elements 15 of the support means 5. The sliding of the support means 5 can then be blocked by flexible tabs of the surface means or by locking means such as pins or screws.

The invention also provides that the device can optionally comprise a plate means that can be superimposed on the flat means and possibly having a creased side in common with the latter.

The method, object of the present invention, to realize and to put the device 1 in the operative condition, foresees to:

- making by molding a set of support means 5 provided with flange means 13 projecting laterally;

- making at least one plane means 3 starting from a preferably honeycomb plate by cutting this slab to the size of the plane means;

- cut and / or punch the plane means making slots 27 which delimit three sides of rectangular means 19 and positioned to fit together with the flange means 13 of the support means 5 and optionally create creases 29 on the fourth sides not punched and / or cut of the wing means 19;

- folding the fourth uncut and / or punched side of the flap means 19 to slightly incline said flap means 19;

- fit the flange means 13 between the tab means 19 and the remaining surface means 3 to fix the support means 5 to this surface means 3.

An advantage of the present invention is to provide a modular packaging support device which is very economical.

A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a very light device.

Another advantage is to provide a device.

Another advantage is to provide a device that minimizes the occupation of space during its transport and during storage.

Another advantage is to provide a device that can be composed with simple manual or automated operations.

Another advantage is to provide a device that can be broken down easily and with few manual operations, separating its constituents.

Another advantage is to provide a device suitable for at least medium and light loads. Another advantage is to provide a washable and disinfectable device.

A further advantage is to provide a method for making the constituent elements of said packaging support device and for composing it.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS 1) Support device for packages comprising a plane means (3) and a set of support means (5) and characterized by the fact that the plane means (3) consists of a plate or plate and that the support means (5), in an assembled condition (A) of the device (1), are fixed to one of its main abutment face (7) by means of at least one of glue, welding, adhesive or double-sided tape, staples or points , seams, screws, rivets or interlocking. 2) Device according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that each support means (5) comprises at least one foot means (11), a peripheral edge of which is provided with flange means (13) projecting laterally; each support means (5) optionally comprises possible joining elements (15) between foot means (11) of the same support means (5); where preferably each foot means (11) is concave with said perimeter edge bearing the flange means (13) which constitutes the respective mouth. 3) Device according to claim 2 characterized by the fact that each flange means (13) and each possible joining element (15) has a contact surface (23) with the main abutment face (7) of the plane means (3) where the contact surfaces (23) of the flange means (13) and of the possible joining elements (15) of a support means (5) lie on a common geometric plane; where the faces of each flange means (13) and each possible joining element (15) opposite the contact surfaces (23) are parallel to these contact surfaces (23) and optionally bear a raised rib (25) or they are optionally inclined towards the outer perimeter edges of the flange means (13) and of the possible joining elements (15); where such possible joining element (15) between two adjacent foot means (11) of a single support means (5) preferably consist of two approximately ribbon-like or strip-like elements each joining the flange means (13) on the same side of the two foot vehicles (11). 4) Device according to any one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the plane means (3) carries a plurality of folding fin means (19) intended, in the assembled condition, to engage with said flange means (13) and / or with the possible joining elements (15) by fitting them between them (19) and the main abutment face (7). 5) Device according to claim 4 characterized by the fact that each fin means (19) is obtained from the respective support means (5), has an approximately rectangular shape with a main side and two shorter sides delimited by respective slots ( 27) or through and continuous punched cuts, where the main side is parallel and adjacent to the position; optionally, the main side has a creasing (29) or discontinuous rectilinear perforation for connecting the free ends of the slots (27) intended to facilitate the folding of the wing means (19). 6) Device according to any one of claims 4 or 5 characterized by the fact that, in an operating condition of the device in which it supports a load placed above it and the lower portion of the support means (5) is also intended to encounter a ground or floor, the contact surface (23) of each flange means (13) and of each possible joining element (15) faces upwards and the main abutment face (7) of the flatbed means (3) is the lower one while the load rests on the upper surface of the flatbed means (3), in this operating condition the fin means (19) meet with the lower parts of each flange means (13 ) and of each possible element of union (15). 7) Device according to any one of claims 4 or 5, characterized by the fact that the flat means is equipped with openings or windows (31) having a shape and dimension complementary to those of the body of the foot means (11) of the means of support (5) and smaller dimensions than those of the corresponding flange means (13) where an opening or window (31) for a foot means (11) is placed between the fin means (19) for the flange means ( 13) of the body of the foot means (11) itself, in an operating condition of the device in which it supports a load placed above it and the lower portion of the foot means (11) of the support means (5) Ã ̈ intended to abut a floor or the like, the foot means (11) of the support means (5) are inserted in the respective openings or windows (31), the contact surface (23) of each flange means (13 ) and of each possible joining element (15) is facing downwards and the main abutment face (7) d The flatbed vehicle (3) is the upper one on which the cargo of the flatbed vehicle (3) rests. 8) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the perimeter flaps (33) of the plane means (3) projecting with respect to the outermost flap means (19) are foldable and that the angular portions of said flaps are cut and / or shaped to form joints (35) between these perimeter flaps (33) in their upright condition. 9) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that, preferably, the plane means (3) are sheets or plates of material equipped with a memory such as polypropylene honeycomb plates or the like with two parallel faces mutually fixed by a plurality of partitions mutually parallel and perpendicular to said faces, or honeycomb plates and, preferably, the support means (5) are made of plastic material, for example of the type at least partially recycled. 10) Method for realizing and placing in the operative condition the device of any one of the preceding claims characterized by the fact of - making by molding a set of support means (5) provided with flange means (13) projecting laterally; - making at least one flat means (3) starting from a sheet preferably honeycomb by cutting this sheet to the size of the flat means; - cut and / or punch the plane means making slots (27) that delimit three sides of rectangular means (19) and positioned to fit together with the flange means (13) of the support means (5) and optionally making creases (29) on the fourth non-punched and / or cut sides of the wing means (19); - folding the fourth uncut and / or punched side of the flap means (19) to slightly incline said flap means (19); - fit the flange means (13) between the fin means (19) and the remaining half flat surface (3) to fix the support means (5) to this flat means (3).